Kitting Out Your First Home On The Cheap


You’ve finally moved into your first home. You’ve laid down the deposit, paid agency fees and even had to fork out on removals. But you’ve failed to account for one thing. Furniture! It’s okay, you don’t have to resort to sleeping on an inflatable bed and watching TV off beanbags – there are more luxurious opportunities out there. Luxurious opportunities that even you can afford. 

Hit the sales 

When is there not a sale on? Looking out for discounts from retailers could save some money. However, you should be careful. There are many tricks to the trade including deliberately advertising a new suite piece at a ridiculously high starting price, just so that they can knock off several hundred pounds and make it look like a bargain. Warranties and Buy-one-get-one-half-price offers can also be a way of forcing you to spend more money than you intended. Compare prices online and you’ll be able to fish out the real sales deals from the fake ones. 

Hunt for coupons 

If you went through an agency, they may have emailed you furniture discount coupons as a token of good will. Similarly, when registering your new address, your local post office may send you coupons. Using these in conjunction with a sale could save you hundreds. 

Go second-hand 

Of course, an even cheaper option to avoid the retailers altogether. Second-hand stores, auctions, jumble sales and flea markets are all great places to find cheap second hand furniture. Some of it may be just as good quality as new furniture. Shopping online is also an option – but always buy from a trusted source such as Preloved, where you have the option to return. Local Buy and Sell pages on Facebook can also be great places to find deals – you can pick up the piece of furniture yourself and see the condition before purchasing. Be wary of buying certain items such as mattresses and upholstery second-hand – these can be full of dust mites and bacteria that’s impossible to clean. 

Do-it-yourself 

Those that are a dab hand at DIY should consider building furniture themselves. In most cases, a bed frame can be made for a third of the price it costs to buy. Going DIY has never been easier, with many online tutorials on how to make basic furniture with only basic tools (you don’t need band saw machines and welding irons). Parts such as linear motion slides for drawers and hinges for doors can be easily found online, or by visiting your local hardware store. You can design the furniture to your own measurements and be green by cutting out the fossil fuel usage of mass produced furniture. 

Accept family freebies 

Your parents may have some inherited furniture stored in the attic that they can give you for a free. The design may not be to your liking, but you’ll save hundreds, and let’s face it, the most uncool couch in the world is better than no couch at all. Accept hand-me-downs as temporary solutions whilst you save up the money for something more to your liking.

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